Abstract

Academic extension courses represent an important social and Academia. Today, however, this concept has evolved to include Citizenship Education among university students. The objective of this study is to reflect on current university extension programs, analyze its theoretical foundation and how it serves as a dialogue incorporating both local grassroots and scientific knowledge from a more complex perspective. A rigorous literature review was done, for this purpose which makes contributions and theoretical recommendations regarding contemporary extension programs. It also looks at the need for sustainable university extension programs that include a more complex Bio-Eco-Ethical-Social dimension which reflects the evolving nature of human beings. Extension programs should, therefore, be capable of reflecting the dialogical and comprehensive nature of both a scientific and grassroots approach.

Keywords University extension programs; Scientific education; Grassroots knowledge